The bus is the right way from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh for most travelers. It leaves the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area, crosses at Moc Bai and Bavet, and reaches central Phnom Penh in 6 to 7 hours for about US$22 to US$36. Fly only if time matters more than money, since fares start near US$109 and the new airport sits well south of the city. If you have an extra day and like rivers, take the slow way through the Mekong Delta and the speedboat from Chau Doc.
How we built this guide: on 4 October 2026 we read every bus, van and flight listing on 12Go for Wednesday 21 October 2026, plus Baolau, Giant Ibis's and The Sinh Tourist's published schedules, Cambodia's official e-visa and e-Arrival sites, the speedboat operator's own fares, and UK government travel advice. We did not ride these services. Fares appear as each site showed them, US dollars or Vietnamese dong (VND), with conversions at Vietcombank's selling rate of 26,170 VND per US dollar when we checked.
Which way from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh suits you?
Pick the bus for value, the plane only for speed, and the boat for the scenery. The two cities are about 230 km apart by road according to Baolau, and 240 km on Giant Ibis's route page.
| Mode | Time | Price seen for 21 Oct 2026 | Comfort and hassle | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus via Moc Bai and Bavet | 6 to 7 hours | About US$22 to US$38 (583,000 to 995,000 VND) on 12Go | Reclining seats, one border stop, crew help with paperwork | Most travelers |
| Limousine van or bus | About 5.75 to 7 hours | 690,000 to 862,500 VND (Meko Limo) or about US$34 to US$48 | Fewer seats, office pickups | Couples, a quieter ride |
| Flight to Techo airport | 50 to 60 minutes in the air | From about US$109 (2.86 million VND) | Airport time at both ends, a 20 km ride into town | Tight schedules |
| Bus to Chau Doc, then speedboat | About 6 hours, a night, then about 6 hours | 240,000 VND bus plus 1,640,000 VND boat | Two days, river border, cash only | Mekong Delta fans |
| Private car | About 6 to 7 hours | From about US$111 per car | Door to door, your own stops | Groups and families |
How long does the bus take, and which company should you pick?
Plan on 6 to 7 hours door to door, and choose by departure time and arrival point rather than by price, since most seats cost within a few dollars of each other. On 12Go we counted 98 bus listings for 21 October 2026, leaving between 05:00 and about 17:15.
| Company | Departures seen | Time | Fare on 12Go | Arrives in Phnom Penh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol | 08:30, 09:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:30, 14:00 | 6 to 7 hours | US$22.28 | Orussey Market |
| Long Phuong | 06:00, 07:00, 09:30, 11:00, 13:30, 15:00 | 7 hours | US$24.43 | Long Phuong office |
| Nita Buslines | 07:30, 08:30, 11:00, 13:30 | 7 hours | US$25 | Kumho Samco station |
| Giant Ibis | 06:00, 08:00, 09:45, 13:15 | 7 hours | US$28 to US$36 | Giant Ibis terminal |
| Phuong Heng | 05:00, 07:00, 08:30, 13:00, 15:30 | 7 hours | 562,500 VND | 279 Preah Sihanouk Blvd |
| Virak Buntham | 17:00, 17:15 | About 7.3 to 8 hours | US$36.73 | Phnom Penh office |
| Thai Duong Limousine | 06:20 to 17:00 | 5 hours 45 minutes | US$47.63 | Tuol Svay Prey area |
Giant Ibis's own schedule page lists 08:00, 09:45 and 15:45, so trust the time on your ticket. The Sinh Tourist also runs seated coaches between 06:00 and 16:00, timed at 7 hours. The late Virak Buntham buses arrive around midnight or later, a poor time to look for a room.
Tip: Giant Ibis's route page lists a 20 kg baggage allowance and free printing of a Vietnamese e-visa at its terminal for travelers heading the other way. Check your own company's luggage rule before you pack a second bag.
Where do buses leave and arrive?
Most buses leave from offices on and around Pham Ngu Lao street in central Ho Chi Minh City. 12Go listed Phuong Heng at 275C Pham Ngu Lao and Capitol at Pham Ngu Lao and at 13 Mac Thien Tich, and Giant Ibis says its office is on Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1. Limousine vans such as Meko Limo leave from Dao Duy Tu street in District 10. Our Ho Chi Minh City guide helps you judge the ride from your hotel.
In Phnom Penh, arrivals are spread out. Giant Ibis stops on Street 106 by the Night Market, Capitol at Orussey Market, and Phuong Heng and Meko Limo on Preah Sihanouk Boulevard. Budget a short tuk-tuk or app ride from any of them.
How does the Moc Bai to Bavet border stop work?
You get off the bus twice: once to leave Vietnam at Moc Bai and once to enter Cambodia at Bavet. Giant Ibis's route guide describes the pattern: passengers step off to get their exit stamp, and the crew collects documents for processing before everyone boards again.
Keep your passport, printed e-visa and US dollar cash for a visa in your day bag. Some reviewers on 12Go in September and October 2026 reported paying the crew an extra fee for visa handling, one of them saying the charge was not mentioned beforehand, while a visa-exempt reviewer paid nothing. Ask the price before you hand over your passport.
Do you need a visa for Cambodia?
Most Western visitors do, and it costs US$30. Cambodia's official e-visa site lists the tourist visa (Visa T) at US$30, single entry, valid for 3 months from issue for a stay of 1 month, with processing in 3 business days and a passport valid for more than six months (Cambodia e-Visa). The same page lists Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei and Myanmar as visa-exempt.
E-visa or visa on arrival?
Either works at Bavet. The e-visa site names Bavet in Svay Rieng among the land crossings that accept the e-visa, along with three airports, including Techo, and Tropaeng Kreal in Stung Treng on the Laos border. The UK government says visas on arrival are available at airports and land borders, paid in US dollars with a photo, and Cambodia's embassy in Washington lists the same US$30 fee for a tourist visa (Royal Embassy of Cambodia).
The e-visa costs a few days of waiting but removes the cash and photo hunt at the border. Apply only on evisa.gov.kh, which switched its certificates from a barcode to a QR code on 1 August 2026.
What about Cambodia's e-Arrival form?
Fill it in if you fly, and check with your bus crew if you go overland. The e-Arrival site says submission is free and opens 7 days before arrival, replaces the paper immigration, health and customs forms, and lists only Techo, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville airports. Arrivals now receive a v-Pass by email instead of an ink stamp. The UK government describes the form as required for air arrivals.
Can you leave Vietnam on a single-entry e-visa?
Yes, through Moc Bai, but you cannot come back on it. Moc Bai is one of the land gates on Vietnam's e-visa list (lsvn.vn, on Resolution 127/NQ-CP). The UK government warns that e-visas restrict you to the entry and exit points you select when you apply (FCDO), so name Moc Bai, or the river gate if you take the boat, as your exit.
If Cambodia is a side trip and you plan to return, apply for the US$50 multiple-entry e-visa instead of the US$25 single-entry one before your first arrival. Our Vietnam visa guide covers the fees and the 45-day visa-free list.
Is it worth flying to Phnom Penh?
Only if you are short of time. On 12Go for 21 October 2026, Air Cambodia, listed under its pre-2025 name Cambodia Angkor Air (Wikipedia), had direct flights at 08:30 and 12:00 from about US$109 to US$118, and Vietnam Airlines had a 16:05 departure, flight VN920 on Baolau, from about US$164. The flight lasts 50 to 60 minutes.
Remember the new airport. Techo International Airport (KTI) opened on 9 September 2025 and replaced the old Phnom Penh International Airport at Pochentong for commercial flights, per Wikipedia. Viet Nam News put it more than 20 km south of downtown, about 40 minutes by road, and the airport's Airport Express Bus runs daily from 05:30 to 23:30. Add the ride out to Tan Son Nhat, covered in our Tan Son Nhat guide, and the flight saves only a few hours.
Is the Mekong boat via Chau Doc a good alternative?
Yes, if you want two slow days on the river instead of one day on the highway. Take a bus to Chau Doc first: Baolau times FUTA's buses at about 6 hours for 240,000 VND, and our Mekong Delta guide explains why the town deserves a night.
The next morning, Hang Chau's speedboat leaves the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel pier at 07:00. The operator describes the trip as about 4 hours on the boat plus 2 hours at the border, and its Phnom Penh office and pier are at 103 Sisowath Quay (Hang Chau). Fares from June 2026 to June 2027 are 1,640,000 VND (about US$63) downstream and 1,580,000 VND back (Hang Chau), cash only, in dollars or dong.
Watch out: the river crossing at Vinh Xuong and Kaam Samnor does not accept the Cambodian e-visa, according to Hang Chau. Its staff arrange a visa on arrival for US$37 including their service fee, and no photo is needed.
Key facts at a glance
- Buses on 12Go for 21 October 2026 took 6 to 7 hours and started at US$22.28, per 12Go.
- Cambodia's tourist e-visa costs US$30, takes 3 business days and is accepted at Bavet, per Cambodia e-Visa.
- Techo International Airport replaced the old Phnom Penh airport for commercial flights on 9 September 2025, per Wikipedia.
- Hang Chau's Chau Doc to Phnom Penh speedboat costs 1,640,000 VND from June 2026 to June 2027, per Hang Chau.
- Vietnamese e-visas restrict you to the entry and exit points you choose, per the UK government.
Limitations
Fares and departures are a snapshot of 12Go and Baolau listings read on 4 October 2026 for a Wednesday in late October. Booking sites resell seats with their own markups, and timetables differ between sellers and the operators' own pages, so confirm your departure on the ticket. Border waits vary, so leave slack in your plans for the day.
Visa rules can change without much notice. Cambodia's e-visa site did not show a separate processing fee on the pages we read, so check the total at checkout. We could not find an official statement on whether land arrivals at Bavet must use the e-Arrival form, so follow the officers on the day. Fee reports about bus crews come from traveler reviews, not official sources. For more trips out of the city, see routes from Ho Chi Minh City.
